The top 20 universities in the UK

Cambridge and Oxford retain top spots but overall picture is one of decline as international students stay away

University students return for the spring term at Cambridge University
Cambridge and Oxford are the first- and second-ranked universities in the UK
(Image credit: Graeme Robertson/Getty Images)

A majority of the UK's top universities have seen their global ranking fall for the second year in a row, as overseas enrolment declines sharply amid a tightening of immigration restrictions on international students.

The 2024 edition of the "Global 2,000" list by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), which ranked 20,966 institutions to ascertain the 2,000 best-performing universities in the world, features 92 British institutions, one fewer than last year.

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